


Not to Plan

by Oakwyrm



Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cats, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-09 03:18:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12879072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oakwyrm/pseuds/Oakwyrm
Summary: Markus had a carefully formulated plan for confessing. He always did, however, a mistaken assumption and a cat can easily send all his planning straight into the trash.





	Not to Plan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [johnny-jackass on tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=johnny-jackass+on+tumblr).



> I honestly have no idea what kind of universe or time-period this takes place in. I mean Markus is obviously still a Tiefling so there's magic but otherwise, I'm just kinda over here shrugging.

The room was dark. So was the world outside it. The pale crescent moon hid behind a thick layer of clouds as the wind tugged at the few stubborn leaves that still clung to the trees. Morning would bring with it a thin layer of frost to everything, freezing the grass around the houses in the village. The village itself was still and quiet. No lantern burned outside a door to guide someone home, no light shone from any window. People slept, soundly and peacefully, as winter crept ever closer.

Markus sat with his legs curled under him on the couch, staring thoughtfully across the room to the mattress on the floor that currently served as a bed. Thog's breath was calm and even. Next to him one of the cats had curled up. Markus was relatively sure it was Peanut but it could also have been Hades, it was hard to tell from a distance even with his darkvision.

Boxes were scattered around the room, which was technically supposed to be the kitchen and the living room in one. At the moment it served as their entire living space while they cleared out and sorted the other rooms. The house had belonged to Markus' grandmother before she died and her hoarding problem had obviously not gotten better with age. Still, it was better than where they'd lived before, and closer to the rest of their friend group.

Thog shifted slightly in his sleep, drawing Markus' attention back to him even as a soft tapping noise told him that a cat was approaching. Markus briefly glanced down at the black ball of fluff, recognizing him as Hades, before turning his eyes back to the bed. He felt the very slight dip in the couch beside him, followed by the familiar feeling of cat paws on his lap as Hades curled up on him. Markus smiled softly, looking back down at his lap.

“Like the new place?” he asked, gently petting Hades. The only answer he got was a soft headbutt against his hand. He chuckled and leaned back, eyes fixing on a point of nothingness in the distance. “Do you wanna hear a secret?”

Hades' low rumbling purr answered. Markus took that as a yes. He glanced over at where Thog was sleeping briefly to confirm that he was still asleep. He hadn't moved since Markus had checked on him last.

“Well, it's not gonna stay secret much longer. So long as everything goes to plan.” He gently scratched the top of Hades' head. “I love him. Thog, I mean.

And don't look at me like that, I'm going to tell him.” Hades gave him a long look. “Fine then, don't believe me. Just prove you don't know me as well as you think.” He lowered his head slightly and Hades rose to meet him, bumping his forehead against Markus'.

Markus laughed softly. He was about to continue this one-sided conversation when the unmistakable sound of a throat clearing from across the room interrupted him. He jumped, turning his eyes toward the bed to see Thog sitting up, staring out into the darkness in front of him. Hades made an offended noise and jumped off of Markus' lap but in that moment Markus was a little too distracted to take proper notice.

“You what?” Thog's voice sounded a little strained. Markus silently cursed his inattentiveness. He took a second to mourn as all of his carefully laid plans for the perfect confession slipped out from under him before he replied.

“I love you,” he said as calmly as possible, though his mind had suddenly kicked into high gear trying to figure a way for him to salvage the situation. Make it better, not such a disaster.

“Yep. Ok. Yeah, that's what I thought I heard.” Thog breathed out slowly, running a hand through his hair, which somehow already looked like he'd slept several more hours than he had. If he'd actually slept at all. Markus bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

“So... do you need, like... time to think?” he asked. “I'll be honest this, uh, this wasn't the plan so I don't really know what to do from here.”

“No, I-” Thog stopped, frowning in Markus' general direction. “Can we get a light on? I can't see shit.” Markus couldn't help it, he laughed. Thog rolled his eyes as Markus got up and fetched the nearest candle, lighting it with a quick snap of his fingers. He set the candle down on the kitchen table, filling the room with a circle of dim light just large enough to reach the bed.

Thog toyed with a stray strand of his hair, staring at a fixed spot on the blanket like it held the answers to all the questions of the universe, steadfastly ignoring the uncomfortable warmth rising to his face. Markus pulled up a chair and sat down, waiting in patient silence for him to speak.

“Ok...” Thog shook his head slightly. “I know you can just jump straight into saying you love someone. I can't-” Markus held up a hand and Thog fell silent, still twisting that lock of hair around his finger.

“I know,” he said. “That's not what I'm asking. Technically I haven't... actually asked anything yet I've just accidentally told you how I feel.” Thog nodded, falling silent for a good while before continuing.

“It's, uh... it's been a while. Since I was in a relationship last I mean. And I've never been good at...” he paused for a moment, looking for the right way to put it, “Emotions...” Markus laughed softly, a kind, reassuring kind of sound.

“I don't care. What's important is if you want to try to make something work between us. If you don't you can go back to sleep and you'll never hear a word about this out of me again.”

Thog frowned. “I didn't say that. I only said I'm not good at emotions. I- fuck, ok I like you. A lot. And no I don't really care how childish it sounds when I put it like that it's the best I can do right now.” His voice might have been a little strained, and his face might have been a lot warmer than it usually was, but the words sounded so right to his ears. Awkward and not quite ready for what they meant yet, but right. Markus grinned.

Thog yawned. “By the way why the fuck are you still awake?” He squinted in Markus' direction. Markus blinked, glancing back at the sofa where he was supposed to have been sleeping.

“Wasn't tired,” he finally settled on. Thog gave him a disbelieving look but let it slide. “I didn't mean to wake you.”

“You don't say?” There was a distinct tone of dry humour to Thog's words. “You mean this wasn't the grand plan you had in place?” Markus shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

“We can talk more in the morning. You look like you need sleep.”

“So do you.” Thog gave him a flat look. Markus nodded absently, glancing out the window at the world outside, still shrouded in the comfortable darkness of night.

***

Markus woke the next morning with a cat curled up on his chest and the sounds of something frying coming from the kitchen. He groaned, opening his eyes slowly and squinting against the light. The sun had of course not risen yet, but Thog has lit the big lamp that hung above the table to give him enough light to work.

“Morning,” Thog called back to him. Markus yawned out a similar greeting as he reached up to gently lift Hades off his chest. He was greeted with minimal resistance and once Hades was on a clear patch of the sofa he curled right back up and fell asleep again. Markus got to his feet and stretched, looking about the room.

Thog was in the kitchen portioning up a breakfast of fried eggs and bacon. Markus tried to hurry through his morning routine, but still by the time he had stumbled out of the bathroom and back into the kitchen Thog had had time to set the table.

The two of them ate in silence, either too tired or too lost in thought to strike up a conversation. Not that Thog had ever been one for talking over breakfast. Or any meal unless it was business related. Markus had never really minded the silence and this morning it was a blessing on his brain, which was only slowly coming back into wakefulness.

It was as he was clearing the dishes that Thog spoke up again.

“About last night.” Markus stopped for a moment before carefully putting the plates he was holding down on the counter. “I still mean what I said. Even though I was only half awake and maybe thought I was dreaming and- fuck ok my point is if you're serious and you wanna date me I'm not opposed to the idea.” Thog looked about fit to explode. He fiddled nervously with his bracelets, staring resolutely at the floor as he waited for Markus to respond.

“Thog-” as he spoke Markus made his way over to Thog's side- “I have never been more serious about anything in my entire life.” Thog actually chuckled.

“I don't know you were pretty serious about Peanut and Hades being destined to come live with us or some shit like that.”

Markus laughed and an invisible weight seemed to dissipate from the room at the sound of it. Thog leaned back, visibly relaxing and Markus could have sworn he saw a smile pulling at his lips. Peanut lifted his head, staring at them with that particular brand of feline curiosity.

“Is it too soon to ask if I can kiss you?” Markus asked. Instead of speaking his answer, Thog reached up and pulled Markus in for a kiss. Neither of them could pretend it was their first kiss, nor had they any need to, yet it seemed like one. Fumbling, a little awkward as Markus rebalanced himself. For all the grace they showed in that moment they might as well have been teenagers again. Yes, it was an imperfect kiss, far from the perfect moments of crystal clarity that the poets and writers of the world seemed so fond of, but, as they pulled away from each other, each a little breathless with a kind of giddy laughter in their hearts, Markus decided he wouldn't have changed it for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Aaand there we have it!


End file.
